In mounting a work piece in a vise, it is oftentimes necessary to use a pair of plates known as parallels. These parallels are mounted adjacent to respective jaws of the vise and have upper margins which act as reference surfaces for the mounting of the work piece between the vise jaws. These parallels are typically rigid metallic bars which must be retained against the jaws to properly position the work piece while machining or other work is being performed on the work piece itself.
In the past, a number of different devices have been used to keep the parellels against the jaw surfaces. For instance, coil springs have been placed in the space between the parallels in engagement with the parallels themselves with the springs being under compression. However, this is a dangerous technique because the springs can become dislodged and hurdle through space. This could possibly cause bodily injury to a workman adjacent to the work piece. Other, more elaborate devices have been used but these have been expensive to produce and complex to use, and they require considerable amount of space for use in holding the parallels in place.
Because of these drawbacks, a need has arisen for improvements in the holding of parallels against vise jaws. This invention satisfies this need.